Advantages of Aligners:
They look better than braces because they are clear and are made to fit your teeth perfectly.
What you can eat: Your food won’t change when you take out your aligners to eat. You can still eat the things you like. Some foods are hard or painful to eat while wearing braces, and they can also break them, which can slow down treatment and mean more visits to get them fixed.
Cleaning your teeth: Since your aligners are detachable, you can brush and floss normally. This is important because many people find it hard to clean their teeth while wearing braces.
Appointments: Since your orthodontist plans how your teeth will move, your visits to the office are generally much easier and, in some cases, even less frequent. This can be very helpful for people who are always on the go!
In general, aligners are more comfortable than braces when it comes to ease. As the teeth start to move, they may still be a little sore, but the lips and cheeks are usually less sore because the plastic aligner is smoother than metal or porcelain braces. This might be especially important for people who play touch or semi-contact sports.
Disadvantages of Aligners:
Compliance: For aligners to work, they need to be worn 22 hours a day. In other words, they are only taken off to eat or clean. Compliance leads to results!
Embarrassing to take out in public: When you eat or clean, you have to take out your aligners. They might find it hard to do this in public if they are shy or embarrassed about it.
You could lose them: Since aligners can be removed you could accidentally throw them away or get chewed up by a pet. This could result in added expenses.
How well they work: Aligners can help with most cases, but not all of them. If your case is complicated, your dentist may suggest braces instead of aligners. The end result might not be as good if you insist on wearing braces anyway.
How much they cost: Aligners can sometimes cost more than braces. But a lot of the time, they are the same or close. Before you make a choice, your dentist can talk to you about how much each option will cost.
Advantages of Braces:
Useful in all situations: Aligners can help with most cases, but braces can help with all of them. That means you can always get braces.
Different kinds of braces: Braces can be different kinds of metal braces that are colored or not. You can also get plastic braces, which are much less obvious than metal braces.
The braces are fixed to your teeth, so you can’t forget to wear them or lose them. It might help some people if they aren’t naturally motivated to wear their aligners correctly.
Disadvantages of Braces:
Not so good things about braces are that they make it harder to clean your teeth than with aligners. Real damage can happen to the teeth if they are not cleaned properly. This could make you decide to take off your braces early, before they’ve given you the best results.
Diet: You will need to change what you eat while you have braces on. If you eat hard foods or grind your teeth at night, they can break, which can slow or stop your treatment. While you have braces on, you should also stay away from sugary, sticky foods because they can make your teeth rot faster. A bad diet combined with bad cleanliness is a sure way to get into trouble!
Comfort: In general, braces are more likely to be painful because they can rub against the lips and cheeks. For some patients, this is worse than for others, and it’s something that people who play sports and do other things often think about.
How they look: Braces, even plastic ones, stand out more than aligners. Depending on their job, habits, and personality, this may be important for some patients.
Appointments: Appointments for braces are usually longer and more complicated, since you have to be in the chair to make changes. There may also be a need for visits more often.
When you are thinking about orthodontic care, there are a lot of things to keep in mind. Hopefully, the information above will help you figure out which choice is best for you. Even though there are no right or wrong choices, it is very important to know what your choice means for you every day. Figure out which pros and cons are most important to you. This will help you make your choice. Ask questions above all else. Make sure you know everything you need to know to make a good choice.
Dr. Cohen from Cohen Family Dentistry is a Top Rated Orthodontist who looks forward to reviewing your need for braces or aligners.